two dwg. projects receive SARA rebates

The urban realm of San Antonio is at a moment of profound social, environmental and economic change. dwg.’s urban landscape expertise and innovative design approach aligns perfectly with the city’s direction.

The TRTF Velocity Center and the San Antonio Light and Print renovation projects exemplify this pattern of revaluation and offer the chance to restitch the urban fabric with more resilient and performative urban qualities.

dwg. is serving as the landscape architect for both projects and designed them to challenge the conventional through a dedication to environmental superiority. Both projects introduce low impact design (LID) by using rain gardens, bioswales and water catchment and storage and reuse features. By engaging the clients, design teams, City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), dwg. sought out grants and rebates to offset the cost of these innovations.

Today we are excited to announce that both projects were selected from a pool of 17 applications for the SARA Watershed Wise Rebate program based on location, impact on receiving and treating storm water and percentage of treatment volume.

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) program reimburses construction projects that demonstrate leadership and innovation in implementing low impact development features that demonstrate best practices of on-site stormwater management. The purpose of the program is to promote the use of LID technologies and techniques to address stormwater runoff.

The Velocity Center is redeveloping the historic Merchant Ice site east of downtown San Antonio by the Texas Research and Technology Innovation Center (TRTF). The project is the first phase in the owner’s plan to establish a new center for technology and innovation for small and start-up companies. The project’s proposed site plan – a post industrial collection of turn-of-the century warehouses and buildings – looks to transform the site into a model of resilient development and economic and social transformation. The design envisions the overall impervious cover of the site and converts portions of the existing surface parking into a community green and set of urban paseos, plazas and terraces that include shade trees, solar canopies, native plantings, reclaimed and recycled materials. The stormwater management plan incorporates a large bioretention area to collect runoff, as well as a massive underground cistern to collect roof runoff and AC-condensation from the building. The LID strategy achieves a 100% impervious area runoff treatment strategy. You can learn more about the project here: https://studiodwg.com/projects/merchant-ice/

The San Antonio Light and Print project is the transformation, adaptive reuse and redevelopment of the iconic and historic newspaper buildings on Broadway by GrayStreet Partners. The resulting project will be a modern mixed-use office development that represents the type of development the City of San Antonio is working to encourage downtown. The proposed site plan reduces the overall impervious cover and replaces a portion of the existing parking lot with a series of promenade walks, gardens, plazas and amenity areas. The spaces include heightened shade, native plants and outdoor rooms that enable the office environment to expand outside. Four bioretention basins in the parking lot and a a large, signature linear bioretention basin at the site’s low point will capture stormwater and treat over 60% of the site’s runoff. You can learn more about the project here: https://studiodwg.com/projects/light-and-print/

dwg. is extremely proud to be involved with both of these projects, which are prioritizing low impact development strategies. Congratulations to both TRTF and GrayStreet Partners on raising the bar and by leading by example.

We additionally applaud SARA for their diligent efforts to encourage best practices through this generous rebate program.